Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

44 The neitrineand ufcfulneßofSigan. S P c T. I. genescals upon his foul to traitin God, and to wait on him as the only remedy, And indeedin fuch cafes, theproper duty of a godly malt is to throw himfelf boldly upon the promife, and as Peter ventured to go upon the waters, when Chrift called him; fo becaufe ofthePromife and gracious invitations,togo unto God, and relie upon him, in which fenfe Jab Paid, Though he kill me , yet Will I troll in him. Thirdly, The Doubt is not, whetheragodly manShould look, for perfe& Signs, fetch asWillfully rifeup to theobligation and ofthe Lam?For it is plain such Signscan never befound. Therefore it is but anodious miftake, whenan Amino- * Dr crdfl,e in mian n argueth againft univerfal Obedience as a fign, becaufe no man canperform his Sermon of fuck, or ifit fhould be limited topurpofeof heart, yet none bath fuch a conliant inherent Qua- purpofe, becaufeofmanycorrupt fuggeftions and concuffions within by Tufts; lifications. for none do urge fuchSigns, and therefore the leali grace difcovered in thefoul, that is Sincereandupright, though it be notgrace to fatisfie thedefire of a Chri- ftian, yet it ought to be a fign fureenough toconfirm his judgement ofhis inter - eft in Chrift. Fourthly, The cafe is not, whether inherent Qualifications ofgrace, be eviden- cesofthemfelves without the leftre afGodsSpirit ? For all fay, this certainty ari- fetivefflciently from the Spirit ofGod; Therefore Ephefi. fealing is attributed to the Spirit ofGod ; fo that we mufi not oppofeagodly life, or graces to the Spirit ofGod, but conjoyn them together; even as in the certainty we have about the Scripture, wedo not oppofe thofe Argumenta infra, imbred arguments that prove the Divinityof theScripture,fuch as the ftyle,majefty, purity,&c. to theSpirit of God : but wefay,Gods Spirit doth perfwade in,and by thofe Argu- ments ; fo it is here, Gods Spirit doth feat untous our interest inChrift by thofe graceswhich arewrought in us.. Fifthly, Thefcruple is not,Whether thereWork! ofGods Spirit in uo,be to be refed on as castles or merits ofour 3aalification ? This is filch Pharifaical Popery as isjuli- ly tobe detefted, we faynot that a Chriftian finding Suchgraces in him, Should build the comfortof hisJuftìfication upon them, or rest on them in head of Chrift, but he is to makenIeofthefç, as Signs ofChrifis dwellingin him, where- byas from aneffeet ofGods love he may rejoyce in, and be thankful! unto God. Sixthly, I will not drawin that difpute neither, Whetherthis certainty Gods Spi- rit works in the godly, inand throughthegraces of Sanctification,be the only Wienef- fngand fealing that is ?.or, whether there be not an immediate teflimony of Gods Spirit es thefoul, either before or Without thofegracious fruits of holinefe ? For my part, I think the former kindeofwitnefting, viz. by fruits of holinefs, the on- ly fafe and lure way, andwhich the Scripture doth for the moft part commend. These things premised, Ibring thegrounds ofthis Duty, toproceed tocertainty of 7tr- ftification and regeneration, by the fruitsofholineffeiffningtherefrom. Argam. r. The first fort ofArguments !hall befrom thole places of Scripture, whichare de- fcriptive andcharatlerifticaloftruegracefrom counterfeit ; For thereforeare thofe differences fo diligently preffed, that every manmaytake heed, and difcern the one fromtheother: Martha ;. howcopious is our Saviourin that Parable togive exalt differences between thefeveral grounds that received the feed, that is,the feveral workings uponmens hearts by the preaching ofthe Word, wherein tome go very farre beyond others, yet only the good and honest heart was indeed ac- cepted. Now upon this our Saviour faith, He that bathears to hear let him hear, asifhe fhould fay, This matterdothdeeply concern you, Examineyour felon in what rankyou are, how farre theword of God bath prevailed over you. If therefore the auditor could not have told when he wasgood ground , and when thorny, Such descriptions had been to no purpofe ; fo Sohn ro.4,ç. there you have a defcriptionof Chrifts fheep, They hear his voice, a ftranger they Will not follow, but fleefrom him ; whereit is good toobferve, that as inother pieces it is made

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